Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Li Guanqi looked at the spirit light burning from the talisman in his hand, marveling at Gu Li’s skill in crafting talismans. He had long coveted techniques like this, ones that could leave a mark behind and alert him when an enemy drew near. Gu Li had been very generous, giving him a wide assortment of talismans with all kinds of effects.

Peng Luo had his own methods, though most came at the cost of hurting himself. Ever since learning what he had endured, Li Guanqi could no longer stand the thought of him doing it. He could hardly fathom what it took to snap off his own arm so casually, time and again, as though it were nothing.

The contract connecting Peng Luo and Li Guanqi allowed Peng Luo to sense Li Guanqi’s thoughts. As Peng Luo tossed the stele into his storage space, he pouted.

Peng Luo’s eyes turned slightly red as he sank into thought. Then he muttered quietly, “I really don’t mind if it’s you guys...”

Li Guanqi raised a hand as if to slap him. Frightened, Peng Luo ducked down, but Li Guanqi gently rubbed his head instead.

Gazing into the distance, Li Guanqi said softly, “From now on, no one will ever force you to snap off your arms again.”

Peng Luo looked up at Li Guanqi’s profile and grinned foolishly.

Before long, the group passed the Qilin hologram and entered the region beyond the mountains. Mountains surrounded them on every side, their sheer cliffs as smooth as mirrors, as though an immortal had sliced through them with a sword.

Directly ahead, a magnificent waterfall a hundred zhang wide cascaded down like a river of stars. Its upper reaches vanished into the clouds, making its true height impossible to judge.

The towering mountains made the group seem incredibly small. Standing beside the vast lake, Li Guanqi heard nothing but the deafening roar of water. Thick mist billowed into the air, and the thunderous sound made his heart tremble.Such tremendous force…

“This waterfall must be at least five hundred zhang tall!”

Li Guanqi circulated his vital force, only to find that flight remained restricted in this region. He leaped toward one of the cliffs, holding his left hand rigid like a blade as lightning-element power gathered in his palm. His qi and blood surged, and vital force enveloped his body as he thrust his hand into the stone wall.

Bang!

A deafening crash rang out. Agonizing pain shot through Li Guanqi’s fingertips, and his fingers bent under the impact. Yet, the cliff remained completely unscathed, aside from a faint white mark on its surface.

Li Guanqi frowned. It seemed his plan to climb to the top using the surrounding cliffs was nothing more than wishful thinking.

Nine Heavens also tried wrapping his dragon claws in lightning-element power, but it was equally futile.

The cliffs’ resilience did not seem to come from their material alone. Some mysterious power protected them. Striking the stone walls was‌ no different from pitting one’s strength against the entire region.

Li Guanqi turned to the cascading waterfall, his mouth twitching. Even if all of them combined their strength, they probably still could not match its force.

Peng Luo’s eyes lit up. He crouched beside the lake and scooped up some water. To his surprise, the lake was filled with a substance resembling spirit-infused jadeite essence. Without another word, Peng Luo tore open a fissure into his domain and began pouring the lake water inside.

Li Guanqi’s eyes brightened as well, and he called the others over to help gather the water into their own storage spaces.

Meanwhile, Li Guanqi stepped across the rocks protruding from the center of the lake and made his way toward the waterfall. When he stopped several dozen zhang away, he finally saw several large words carved into the cliff behind the cascading water.

Spirit Mist River.

Even at this distance, the force of the waterfall made it difficult for Li Guanqi to remain standing. However, behind the curtain of mist and water, he could still sense numerous rare spirit plants, each one exceedingly precious and all but impossible to find in the outside world.

Li Guanqi looked toward the upper center of the waterfall, and his eyes widened. There, a seven-colored flower shimmered with a faint glow. That has to be a Seven-Colored Glass Flower!

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Guanqi turned and said solemnly, “I’m going to give it a try.”

He took off his outer robes, leaving himself clad only in his underclothes. Lightning Armor enveloped him from head to toe, and his muscles swelled as he pushed the Dragon-Elephant Subduing Sutra to its absolute limit.

Li Guanqi’s qi and blood roared through his meridians. Fine, web-like cracks crept across the stone beneath his feet.

Boom!

He launched himself straight into the cascading waterfall.

Bang!

Before he could even break through the curtain of water, the waterfall’s immense force hurled him into the lake below.

The icy water was saturated with extraordinarily dense spirit qi, but Li Guanqi burst from the lake with a grim expression. His entire back and half of one shoulder had turned a dark purplish-black from the impact.

Grimacing in pain, Li Guanqi cursed under his breath, “How is anyone supposed to climb this waterfall? I’m starting to suspect Xuan Lin never entered these ruins at all. Maybe a rift opened in the realm and cast the Qilin soul outside. With Xuan Lin’s strength, he would’ve been devoured in the Illusory Forest without even leaving bones behind!”

Meng Wanshu frowned at the sight. She knew how formidable Li Guanqi’s physique was, yet the waterfall had shattered his Lightning Armor in an instant and left much of his body badly bruised.

Aside from Nine Heavens, anyone else would have fared even worse. The force would likely have torn Peng Luo apart, given his small frame.

Meng Wanshu lightly tapped the lake’s surface and flew over to Li Guanqi. Ice spread beneath her feet as she landed beside him. She frowned and said, “Surely we aren’t supposed to climb the Spirit Mist River? The force is far too great, and there’s no way to gain a foothold from down here. If even someone with your physique can’t endure it, how could Peng Luo or I possibly reach the top?”

Li Guanqi had already realized the same thing. Countless possibilities raced through his mind. “Why don’t we let Nine Heavens try? If he can make it through the waterfall, he can carry the rest of us up.”

Nine Heavens stared at the thundering waterfall and swallowed nervously. Eventually, he gritted his teeth and charged beneath it, his eyes shining with resolve. With a tremendous burst of strength from his claws, he shot upward like an arrow released from a bowstring. His scales gleamed with a cold metallic luster as lightning enveloped his body and golden light flickered in his eyes.

Bang!

Splash!

Nine Heavens plunged into the lake just as swiftly as he had ascended. With a pitiful cry and an enormous splash, he disappeared into the water.

Li Guanqi’s mouth twitched at the sight. He had even seen several dragon scales shatter in midair.

Nine Heavens burst out of the lake and immediately fled to the shore. No matter what anyone said, he refused to try again.

Li Guanqi was growing anxious. After all, another group had entered the secret realm behind them.

A cold gleam flashed in Li Guanqi’s eyes, and he said solemnly, “Nine Heavens, return to the Illusory Forest and command the great demons to attack that group. Do whatever it takes to slow them down. Peng Luo, go with him and gather as many of the spirit herbs as you can along the way. It would be a shame to leave them all behind.”

He turned to Meng Wanshu and continued softly, “Wanshu, watch for an opening. Judge the situation for yourself, and if the opportunity arises, take out a few of them before they get here.”

Then he turned back to Peng Luo. “One more thing. Make a copy of the stone stele we saw earlier and use it to lead them straight across the mountain hollow.”

Peng Luo’s eyes lit up. The Qilin guardian only spared those carrying tokens, and it possessed strength comparable to that of a late Mahayana Realm cultivator. A single firestorm from it would reduce those people to mere ashes.